Button-polisher.



No. 725,897. 4 PATENTBD APR. 21, 1903. J. P. VORDBRMAR-K.

BUTTON 'POLISHBR. APPLICATION mum 1'23. 11, 1903.

no MODEL.

a v' A I \J J 2/ i 9 INVENTOR.

W1 TNESSES A Z'TORNE Y.

UNITED STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN P. VORDERMARK, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

BUTTON-POLISHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 725,897, dated April 21,1903.

Application filed February 11, 1903. Serial No. 142,847. (No model.) I

To LtZZ whom, zlfmrty concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN P. VORDERMARK,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the countyof Marion and State of Indiana, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Button-Polishers, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in buttoncleaning and polishing devices; and it consists in a portable rotarybrush hereinafter more fully set forth, and particularly pointed out inthe claims.

The object of my invention is'to provide a cheap, compact, durable, andportable device for rapidly cleaning and polishing buttons on uniforms,and is particularly designed for the use of military men or such othersthat are required to preserve the lusterlof the buttons of theiruniforms; and a further object of this invention is to so construct thisdevice that the same may be readily used and applied to buttons onuniforms when the latter are either on or off the wearer. I attain theseobjects by means of the device illus trated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which similar numerals of reference designate like partsthroughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a side view of the device, partly in section, and takenthrough the line A B. (See Fig. 2.) Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same,and Fig. 3 is an end view showing the button hook and shield.

A rotary polishing brush 1, having the bristles 2, is secured on theshaft 3, which latter is journaled in the bearings 4 and 5, formedintegral on the inclosing casing 6, and said shaft is adapted to turnand to slide 1ongitudinally in said bearings. A keyway 7 extendslongitudinally of said shaft 3, and a bevel-pinion 8 is mounted on saidshaft 3 and is caused to turn therewith by means of the key 9, whichengages the keyway 7 of said shaft 3 and is adapted to freely slidetherein.

On the projecting reduced end 10 of the shaft 3 or the end opposite thebrush 1 is provided a push-button 11, by means of which the shaft 3 ismoved longitudinally to cause the brush 1 to approach and to contactwith the button to be cleaned and polished. A spiral spring 12 surroundsthe shaft 3 and contacts with one side of the pinion 8 at one of itsends and with the stop-pin 13 at its opposite end, and said spring 12 isprovided for the purpose of not only yieldingly retaining said pinion 8in position on said shaft 3 and against the bearing 4, but also forreturning or otherwise secured on the casing 6, and centrally on saidcover 14 and integral therewith is formed the hub-bearing -15, in whichis journaled the crank-shaft 16. On the inner projecting end of saidshaft 16 is keyed or otherwise secured the bevel-wheel 17, which lattermeshes with the smaller bevel-wheel 8 to drive the latter to rotate theshaft 3 and the brush 1, secured thereon, at an increased velocity.Acrank-handle 18 is secured on the exterior projecting end of thecrank-shaft 16,, by means of which crank-handle the shaft 8 is driven. A

A gripping-hook 19 is formed integral on the back of the casing 6, andthe same is provided for the purpose of securely holding the devicewhile using the same.

The guard-hook 20, provided with the engaging slot 21, has the hub 22formed integral on its arm 23, and the said hub 22 is drilled to receivethe prolonged end of the bearing 4, on which latter said hook is adj ustably secured by a set-screw 24, so that the said hook 20 may be movedand adjusted into position nearer to or farther from the brush 1,according. as the buttons to be operated upon vary in thickness.

The practice of my invention I will now proceed to describe. Suppose,for example, the buttons sewed or otherwise permanently secured on amilitary or other uniform. Then without the use of any special device itis absolutely necessary to exercise great care while polishing thebuttons in order to pre-' vent the polish being rubbed on the cloth ofthe garment,-which would render-the same unfit for further use, and forthe purpose of avoiding this extra care and trouble I have constructedthis invention of a button-polisher, which I apply as follows: The hook20 is first applied to the button between the garment and the under sideof said button to engage the shank or neck of the latter and to holdsaid button firmly while being polished. The operator now grasps thehandle 19 with one hand and presses the push-button 11 to cause thebristles 2, which has had a suitable polishing powder or paste applied,of the brush 1 to contact with the face of the button. The said brush isrotated while in contact with said button by the handle 18, and whensaid button has been thoroughly cleaned and polished the push-button 11is released and the hook 20 of the device is removed, and the device isagain ready for another operation.

Having thus fully described this my invention, what I claim as new anduseful, and desire to cover by Letters Patent of the United Statestherefor, is-

1. In a button-polishing device, the combination with a gear-inclosingcasing, shaftbearings formed integral with said casing, a shaft adaptedto turn and to slide longitudinally in said bearings and suitablegearing inclosed in said casing whereby said shaft is rotated, of abutton-engaging hook, a rotary brush 011 the end of said shaft andsituated intermediate said hook and said casing and means for traversingsaid shaft to move said brush nearer to or farther from the object to bepolished.

2. In a button-polishing device, the combination with a gear-inclosingcasing, shaftbearings formed integral on said casing, a shaft adapted toturn and to slide longitudinally in said bearings and suitable gearinginclosed in said casing whereby said shaft is opposite sides of saidcasing and a shaftbearing having its axis at right angles with theformer shaftbearings, a shaft adapted to turn and to slidelongitudinally in the former or main bearings, a crank-shaft in saidsec- 0nd bearing, a gear in the end of said crankshaft a gear on saidtraversing shaft and situated to mesh with the former gear, and a springsituated intermediate said second gear and the casing and surroundingsaid main traversing shaft, of a button-engaging hook adjustably securedon said casing, a rotary brush on one end of said traversing shaftintermediate said hook and said casing and a push-button on the oppositeend of said traversing shaft, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN P. VORDERMARK.

\Vitnesses:

THOMPSON R. BELL, O. W. DOLL.

